Cycle Race to coincide with President Rajapaksa's birthday

by Ranjan Anandappa

CYCLE RACE: The fifth annual popular cycle race to celebrate the birthday of President Mahinda Rajapaksa which also coincides with the completion of his second term in office as the President of the country, will be worked off this year from Puttalam on November 18 and will be flagged down in front of Temple Trees on on November20th.

The event is sponsored by Cell City (Zigo Phones) and Sinha Holdings (Manufacturers of Axe Oil).

The first three winners will receive a sum of Rs. 300,000, 200,000 and 100,000 respectively.

The cycle race will be held in three stages. In the first stage, the race will take off from Puttalam, Anamaduwa, Padeniya, Polgahawela, Kegalle, Galigamuwa, Kotiyakumbura, Ruwanwella and Avissawella.

In the second stage, the race will start from Avissawella and will reach Tangalla via Eheliyagoda, Kuruwita, Ratnapura, Kahawatta, Embilipitiya and Tangalle.

In the Colombo bound third stage, it will proceed via Matara, Galle, Ambalangoda, Kalutara, Panadura, Bandaragama, Piliyandala, Kottawa, Maharagama and Temple Trees where President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be welcoming the winners.

At a press-briefing held at the Government Information Department Auditorium, Narahenpita, the Chairman of Cell City Roshan Fernando said that conducting a cycle race of this nature, is a big job and his company came forward to sponsor the event mainly to show gratitude to President Mahinda Rajapaksa who ended the war.

He further said as all of us know there was a time where no one could proceed beyond Anuradhapura or in the city with out fear, but today anyone could proceed to any part of the Island without fear.

The entire nation should be grateful to the President who eradicated terror which prevailed for three decades.